The party was unified and happy leaving Boston in 2004. The difference between this year and four years ago is that many of us voted against George Bush rather than for John Kerry. When casting our ballot this year many will be voting for Barack Obama.

The pundits had nothing to talk about those first few days of the Convention so disaffected Hillaristas known as PUMA’s for the sour grapes phrase ‘Party Unity My Ass’ were given more than their 15-minutes and forced a roll call of states. Time after time interviewers found them and they groused and spun out of control over the perceived slight of Hillary.

The rest of us were saying, ‘get over it,’ but they continued to moan and complain and failed to acknowledge a result Hillary herself created by assuming the nomination was her birth-right, not planning for contests beyond 05 February and running up a $20 million dollar personal campaign debt by becoming a Spiro Agnew-like ‘nattering nabob of negativity’ attacking Barack Obama and giving the Republicans a library of attack adverts.

At five minutes before midnight here in the UK, the celebration on the convention floor was the most spontaneous and genuine experienced in this writer’s 32-years of convention watching. 15-minutes earlier, my birth state of Massachusetts cast the majority of its delegate votes for Senator Barack Obama, a black man. They were cast by another black man, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick.

This was a state where the 1970’s forced bussing of inner city black children to South Boston had Councilwoman Louise Day Hicks standing belligerently daring black children under armed Mass. State Police escort to set foot in South Boston. There were riots, name calling, rock throwing and racial tensions so strong that for years afterwards, my father’s ‘short-cut’ to Logan Airport over Southie risked taking his life in his hands. To now see a black governor was seemingly beggars belief.

With dignity and grace, the Democratic Party had even the CNN pundits affected by the significance of the moment. No doubt the Repug hate and slime machine will spin into frenzy before the sun rises in Denver and still, what a moment. There were even rumours that John McCain, so fearful of the post-convention bounce of Obama would announce his Veep selection this afternoon before Barack Obama takes the stage for the grand finale.

Later that evening, President Bill Clinton reminded the audience that in 1992 the Republican Party tried to portray him as “too young and inexperienced to be Commander-in-Chief.” He then reminded everyone of every instance from Iraq to foreign policy to Afghanistan where Barack Obama was thoughtful and dead certain and John McCain and President Bush were wrong.

Even the Bush Administration is backing away from McCain’s strident and bellicose talk against Russia. McCain wants Russia thrown out of the G-8. David Milliband, UK Foreign Secretary, and other G-8 leaders are against such action calling it an over-reaction, stating ‘there are other diplomatic means with which to exert pressure for Russia to withdraw.’

Next came Senator John Kerry, the former party nominee giving a speech we all wondered, where was that John Kerry four years ago? With immense fire in his belly, he called McCain and the Repugs swift boating tactics and blatant distortions and lies out as the sleaze tactic it is and wondered what has happened to Senator John McCain since he has become candidate John McCain.

Finally Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden talked about his friend John McCain and showed all the ways they disagreed in a brilliant and heartfelt speech.

It is time tonight for Barack Obama to seal the deal and show why he has so inspired so many people.

I’d tune in if I were you.